Florida State University Graduate Bulletin 2007-2009
Department of Geological Sciences
College of Arts and Sciences
Chair: A. Leroy Odom; Professors: Odom, Tull, Wise; Associate Professors: Arnold, Donoghue, Kish, Parker, Salters, Wang; Assistant Professors: Fagherazzi, Georgen, Schmeeckle, Streepey; Professors Emeriti: Cowart, DeVore, Loper, Osmond
The Department of Geological Sciences offers post-baccalaureate studies leading to both the master of science (MS) and the doctor of philosophy (PhD) degrees in geology and geophysics through a wide variety of specialties. The doctoral degree program is intended to develop independent research abilities for those students who have the talent and motivation for original and creative work. The department also stresses teaching the necessary skills for those who choose to obtain the MS degree.
The geology program began in 1949, and the Carraway Building, the department's home, was completed in 1953 and renovated in 1998. The PhD program was initiated in the early 1960s, and the faculty has since grown to its present size. Faculty interests encompass many specialties, including geophysics, geochemistry, micropaleontology, marine geology, hydrogeology, sedimentology and coastal processes, geomorphology, structure and tectonics, seismology, geochronology, economic geology, petrology, and environmental geology.
Both geology majors and those from other disciplines with a strong background in natural sciences may enter the program, with an emphasis on studies pertinent to their interests. Research programs may be conducted within the Department of Geological Sciences, or they may involve collaborative work with members of the departments of Oceanography and Physics, the College of Engineering, the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Institute, the School of Computational Science, and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. The Department of Geological Sciences conducts cooperative programs with the Florida Geological Survey, Northwest Florida Water Management District, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the United States Geological Survey. The department provides a service to the international geological community, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), by maintaining a repository for marine cores in the Antarctic Research Facility.
The department's main geochemistry laboratories are at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. Instrumentation available for research includes inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers, thermal ionization mass spectrometers, Delta Plus light isotope mass spectrometer, alpha and gamma spectrometers, automated X-ray diffraction equipment, electron spin resonance spectrometer, atomic absorption and UV-VIS spectrometers, gravimeter and magnetometer, recirculating sediment transport flume, automated settling tube, electrozone particle counter, computerized image capture and analysis system, and facilities for hydrologic studies of surface and ground waters (saturated and unsaturated). A number of research microscopes, image analysis system, GIS laboratory, microcomputers, and field vehicles, as well as geochemical sample and thin-section preparation equipment, also support the program.
In addition to holding faculty positions at major universities around the world, graduates of this department have outstanding records in both government and industry. In Florida, large numbers of the department's graduates are employed by the Water Management Districts of the state, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Geological Survey, the United States Geological Survey, phosphate and clay mining companies, and numerous geologic and engineering consultant companies. Outside the state, a large number of graduates hold scientific and executive positions with major petroleum and mining companies. Other geology graduates hold civil service positions with the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, United States Geological Survey, Soil Conservation Districts, Army Corps of Engineers, and state geological surveys.
Fellowships, as well as teaching and research assistantships, are available to highly qualified students. This financial support is awarded on a competitive basis. In addition, numerous geologically related part-time jobs, with both governmental and private agencies, are available in Tallahassee. Graduate students who require some type of financial assistance can normally find it.
Please review all college-wide degree requirements summarized in the "College of Arts and Sciences" chapter of this Graduate Bulletin. The following requirements for the MS and PhD degrees are spelled out in greater detail in the Department of Geological Sciences Graduate Handbook.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the graduate program requires a score of 1000 (verbal and quantitative) on the aptitude test of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) and a score of at least 400 on each portion, or an undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0. International students whose native languages are other than English are also required to achieve a score of 550 or better on the Educational Testing Service's Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and to take (and report scores to this department) the Test for Spoken English (TSE).
A beginning graduate student should normally have preparation equivalent to that required for a baccalaureate degree in geology at this University, including a minimum of a year each of chemistry and physics, mathematics through calculus, physical and historical geology, paleontology, mineralogy, elementary petrology, structural geology, stratigraphy, and field geology.
Master's Degree Requirements
The Department of Geological Sciences offers only the thesis-type program for the master's degree. In addition to the number of bound copies required by the University, one copy must be provided to the department, the binding of which shall meet American Library Association standards.
Course work appropriate to the needs of the individual student should be arranged with the graduate student adviser or with the major professor and the supervisory committee. One course is required in each of the following areas: 1) mineralogy/petrology/geochemistry, 2) structure/tectonics/geo-physics, 3) paleontology/stratigraphy, and 4) hydrology/geomorphology/sedimentation. One semester per year of seminar (GLY 5931r) also is required.
No later than the second semester of the student's graduate program, a thesis adviser and supervisory committee should be selected and a program of study approved. For admission to candidacy, students must present to the supervisory committee and publicly defend a description of proposed thesis research (prospectus). In addition, students must demonstrate, by means of a comprehensive examination taken by the end of the third semester, professional proficiency in general geology as well as their area of specialty. The examining committee will normally be comprised of the student's advisory committee, designated by the department chair. During the term that this exam is scheduled, the student must enroll for GLY 8966r, Master's Comprehensive Examination.
Doctor of Philosophy Degree
The PhD degree is based on satisfactory completion of required course work, broad scholarship built on wide and critical reading, capacity for independent thought, and ability to do original and independent scholarly work. In addition to the number of bound copies required by the University, one copy of the dissertation must be provided to the department, the binding of which shall meet American Library Association standards. The department strongly encourages the preparation of the dissertation as a series of published or publishable journal articles.
Doctoral students must participate in one seminar annually. For details, consult the Department of Geological Sciences Graduate Handbook. A minor subject outside the department may be pursued.
The candidate must present to the supervisory committee and publicly defend a description of proposed dissertation research (prospectus). In addition, students must demonstrate by the fourth semester, by means of written and oral examination (preliminary exam), proficiency in general geology, as well as their area of specialty. The examining committee normally will be comprised of the student's supervisory committee, appointed by the chair. During the term that this oral examination is scheduled, the student must enroll for GLY 8964r, Preliminary Doctoral Examination.
Definition of Prefixes
ESC—Earth Science
GLY—Geology
Graduate Courses
ESC 5211r. Current Topics in Earth Science (3). An overview of recent advances in earth sciences for secondary school earth science teachers. May not be taken for major credit in earth science. May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours.
ESC 5215r. Current Topics in Earth Science (3). An overview of recent advances in earth sciences, for secondary school earth science teachers. May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours. May not be taken for major credit in earth science.
GLY 5135. Quaternary Geology (3). This course will examine the following subjects: geochronology; paleomagnetism; other nonchronometric dating methods; causes of climate change; alluvial and marine terraces; mean sea-level history; gravity and isostasy (including post-glacial rebound); ice deposits; causes of ice ages.
GLY 5265. Nuclear Geology (3). Prerequisite: GLY 4240 or equivalent. Nucleosynthesis and systematics of the nuclides, radioactive and radiogenic isotopes as natural tracers, theory and application of isotopic fractionation.
GLY 5267. Stable Isotopic Tracers in the Environment (3). An introduction to the basic principles of stable isotope geochemistry. The application of stable isotopes to geochemical, hydrological and ecological problems.
GLY 5297r. Advanced Topics in Geochemistry (1–3). Special topics, on demand, in low temperature geochemistry. May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours.
GLY 5395r. Advanced Topics in Petrology (1–3). Special topics, on demand, in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary petrology. May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours.
GLY 5425. Tectonics (3). Prerequisite: GLY 3400C or equivalent. Advanced treatment of crustal deformation in mountains; the sequence of events and evaluation of deformation styles.
GLY 5455. Introduction to Geophysics (3). Prerequisites: MAP 2302; PHY 2049; or consent of instructor. Plate tectonics and earth structure. Current methods of probing the interior: seismology and seismic tomography, geomagnetics, geoid and gravity, geochemistry and geochronology. Heat flow, mantle convection, core convection and the geodynamo.
GLY 5465. Geomechanics (3). Prerequisites: MAP 2302, 3305; PHY 2048C. A systematic investigation of the dynamic behavior of geological materials, in the context of continuum mechanics, with emphasis on one-dimensional motions including seismic waves, surface-water waves, tsunamis, river flows, floods, glaciers, sliding and slumping. As time permits, motions involving thermal effects will be considered, including lava flows, volcanic eruptions and certain aspects of flow in the earth's mantle.
GLY 5495r. Advanced Topics in Geophysics (3). Prerequisites: GLY 4451 or GLY 5455. Special topics, on demand, in geophysics. May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours.
GLY 5497r. Advanced Topics in Structural Geology (3). Special topics, on demand, in structural geology, rock deformation, and tectonics of mountain building. May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours.
GLY 5516. Stratigraphy and Sequence Analysis (3). Prerequisite: GLY 3340C. The interpretation of stratigraphic sequences, including an overview of sedimentary petrogenesis; principles of lithostratigraphic, biostratigraphic, and chronostratigraphic correlation; geochronology and geophysical correlation, including magnetic, seismic, and subsurface correlation; tectonics and stratigraphy.
GLY 5556. Hydrodynamics (3). Prerequisites: MAC 2312; PHY 2048C. The dynamics of flowing water on and near the earth's surface; porous-media flows and boundary flows as they pertain to geologic phenomena.
GLY 5573. Fluvial Processes (3). Prerequisites: Calculus III, physics B. Fluvial hydrology, sediment movement, and channel evolution.
GLY 5575. Coastal Geology (3). Topics in this course include sedimentologic processes operating along modern coasts, erosion and deposition, shoreline evolution, effects of sea level and climate change on shorelines, coastal morphodynamics, responses to critical erosion, and sediment transport.
GLY 5576. Stratigraphy and Sediments of Transitional Marine Environments (3). Prerequisite: GLY 4551, 4511, or equivalent. Stratigraphy and development of transitional sedimentary environments: comparison of modern and ancient examples of deltas, estuaries, lagoons, barrier islands, and shelf deposits; models for sedimentation; seismic stratigraphy of marginal marine environments; sedimentologic effects of sea-level change; facies analysis.
GLY 5577. Sedimentary Basin Analysis (3). Prerequisite: GLY 4511. Analytical techniques for the interpretation of sedimentary basins, including: lithofacies analysis, depositional systems, thermal history, seismic reflection and sequence stratigraphy. Also addresses climatic and tectonic controls on basin evolution; subsidence modeling, provenance studies and cyclic sedimentation.
GLY 5595r. Advanced Topics in Sedimentation and Stratigraphy (1–3). Special topics, on demand, in fluvial, shoreline, and oceanic sedimentation and in stratigraphic principles or regional stratigraphy. May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours.
GLY 5624C. Introduction to Micropaleontology (3). Taxonomy, ecology, and paleoenvironmental aspects of selected microfossils with emphasis on foraminifera.
GLY 5625C. Advanced Micropaleontology (3). Biostratigraphic and evolutionary studies with emphasis on smaller foraminifera.
GLY 5695r. Advanced Topics in Paleontology (1–3). Special topics, on demand, in paleontology. May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours.
GLY 5696Cr. Mesozoic Planktonic Calcareous Nannofossils (4–8). Biostratigraphy, biogeography, and taxonomy of this widely occurring group of marine microfossils. May be repeated to a maximum of eight (8) semester hours.
GLY 5697Cr. Cenozoic Planktonic Calcareous Nannofossils (4–8). Biostratigraphy, biogeography, and taxonomy of this widely occurring group of marine microfossils. May be repeated for a maximum of eight (8) semester hours.
GLY 5736. Marine Geology (3). Shoreline, shelf, and deep ocean processes; marine sediment types and sedimentary environments; plate tectonics; origin of the ocean; paleooceanography; marine mineral resources. Includes research methods cruise for familiarization with marine geologic sampling and sensing devices. Credit may not be received for both GLY 5736 and OCG 5050.
GLY 5757C. Fundamentals of Remote Sensing, Air Photo Interpretation and GIS for the Earth Sciences (4). Prerequisites: GLY 3400C; PHY 2049. Course covers an introduction to the study of the earth using photographic and electronic imaging acquired from aircraft and satellites; physics of the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and materials of earth's surface and hydrosphere; principles of electronic and microwave imaging; and, use of digital analysis and GIS in the study of earth resources and global change.
GLY 5825. Physical Hydrology (3). Prerequisites: GLY 5827; MAC 2312; PHY 2048. An introductory treatment of the physical processes and geological constraints that govern the occurrence and movement of subsurface waters. Emphasis is placed on how water movement is conditioned by fluid, soil and rock properties; and by topographic, stratigraphic, and structural boundaries.
GLY 5826. Numerical Modeling of Groundwater Flow (3). Prerequisite: GLY 5825. Fundamental equations of groundwater flow. Introduction to finite difference and finite element methods for groundwater modeling. Numerical solutions for steady state and transient flow problems. Introduction to multiphase dispersive flow of contaminants in groundwater.
GLY 5827. Principles of Hydrology (3). Prerequisites: Basic chemistry, basic physics (for science majors). Fundamentals of hydrogeology with emphasis on groundwater flow and hydrochemistry. Both theory and applications are addressed.
GLY 5885. Geologic Hazards Assessment (3). Designed as an overview for understanding the geologic perspective in assessing environmental hazards. Topics covered include: beach processes and erosional effects of severe storms, evaluation of flood-prone and wetland areas, evolution of sink holes, landfill sitings and remediation, mine reclamation problems, contaminant transport and contamination plumes, nuclear waste disposal, slope stability issues, etc.
GLY 5887. Environmental Geology I (3). Application of geologic and geochemical principles to environmental issues. Topics include: evaluation of contaminants in surface water and ground water; hydrocarbon geochemistry and petroleum storage tank problems; waste management, including solid, toxic and nuclear waste; air quality issues, including radon and asbestos; geologic hazards in upland and coastal areas; environmental geologic methods and instrumentation; quality assurance and quality control in environmental analysis; principles of toxicology; risk assessment and risk management; and environmental assessments.
GLY 5896r. Advanced Topics in Hydrology (1–3). Special topics on demand in the theory and application of groundwater flow equations, rock-water reactions, and radioactive tracers. May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours.
GLY 5906r. Directed Individual Study (3). (S/U grade only.) May be repeated for a maximum of nine (9) semester hours.
GLY 5910r. Supervised Research (1–5). (S/U grade only.) No more than three (3) semester hours may apply to a master's degree. May be repeated to a maximum of five (5) semester hours.
GLY 5931r. Graduate Seminar (1). (S/U grade only.) May be repeated to a maximum of nine (9) semester hours.
GLY 5940r. Supervised Teaching (1–5). (S/U grade only.) May be repeated to a maximum of five (5) semester hours. No more than three (3) hours may apply to a master's degree.
GLY 5971r. Thesis (3–6). (S/U grade only.) A minimum of six (6) semester hours of credit is required.
GLY 6980r. Dissertation (1–12). (S/U grade only.) A minimum of twenty-four (24) semester hours of credit is required.
GLY 6982r. Doctoral Seminar (1). (S/U grade only.) May be repeated to a maximum of five (5) semester hours.
GLY 8964r. Preliminary Doctoral Examination (0). (P/F grade only.)
GLY 8966r. Master's Comprehensive Examination (0). (P/F grade only.)
GLY 8975r. Master's Thesis Defense (0). (P/F grade only.)
GLY 8985r. Dissertation Defense (0). (P/F grade only.)